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Wiki new s This document describes the bootstrapping process required to install Arch Related articles
Random page Linux from a running Linux host system. After bootstrapping, the installation
proceeds as described in the Installation guide. Install from SSH
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Installing Arch Linux from a running Linux is useful for:
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replacing an existing Linux without a LiveCD (see #Replacing the Existing System without a LiveCD)
interaction creating a new Linux distribution or LiveCD based on Arch Linux
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creating an Arch Linux chroot environment, e.g. for a Docker base container
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rootfs-over-NFS for diskless machines
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Recent talks The goal of the bootstrapping procedure is to setup an environment from which arch-install-scripts (such
New pages as pacstrap and arch-root ) run. This goal is achieved by installing arch-install-scripts natively on the
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host system, or setting up an Arch Linux-based chroot.
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If the host system runs Arch Linux, installing arch-install-scripts is straightforward.
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What links here Note: This guide requires that the existing host system be able to execute the new target Arch Linux
Related changes architecture programs. In the case of an x86_64 host, it is possible to use i686-pacman to build a 32-bit
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chroot environment. See Arch64 Install bundled 32bit system. However it is not so easy to build a 64-bit
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 Contents [hide]
in other languages
1 Arch Linux-based chroot
Español
1.1 Creating the chroot
Français
1.1.1 Method 1: Using the Bootstrap Image (recommended)
Italiano
1.1.2 Method 2: Using the LiveCD Image
日本語
Português
1.2 Using the chroot Environment
Русский 1.2.1 Initializing pacman keyring
Українська 1.2.2 Installation
中文（中国大陆）​ 1.2.2.1 Debian-based host
中文（台灣）​ 1.2.2.2 Fedora-based host
1.2.3 Configure the system
2 Replacing the Existing System without a LiveCD

Arch Linux-based chroot

The idea is to run an Arch system inside the host system. The actual installation is then executed from this
Arch system. This nested system is contained inside a chroot. Two methods to setup and enter this chroot
are presented below, from the easiest to the most complicated.

Note: The host system must run Linux 2.6.32 or later.

Note: Select only one of the following two methods and then read the rest of the article to complete the
install.

Creating the chroot

Method 1: Using the Bootstrap Image (recommended)
Download the bootstrap image from a mirror :

$ curl -O https://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/iso/2015.01.01/archlinux-bootstrap-2015.01.01-x86_64.tar.gz

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 Extract the tarball:

# cd /tmp
# tar xzf <path-to-bootstrap-image>/archlinux-bootstrap-2015.01.01-x86_64.tar.gz

Select a repository server:

# nano /tmp/root.x86_64/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist

Note: If bootstrapping an i686 image from an x86_64 host system, also edit
/tmp/root.i686/etc/pacman.conf and explicitly define Architecture = i686 in order for pacman to pull the

proper i686 packages.

Enter the chroot

If bash 4 or later is installed:

# /tmp/root.x86_64/bin/arch-chroot /tmp/root.x86_64/

Else run the following commands:

# cd /tmp/root.x86_64
# cp /etc/resolv.conf etc
# mount --rbind /proc proc
# mount --rbind /sys sys
# mount --rbind /dev dev
# mount --rbind /run run
(assuming /run exists on the system)
# chroot /tmp/root.x86_64 /bin/bash

Method 2: Using the LiveCD Image

It is possible to mount the root image of the latest Arch Linux installation media and then chroot into it. This
method has the advantage of providing a working Arch Linux installation right within the host system without
the need to prepare it by installing specific packages.
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 Note: Before proceeding, make sure the latest version of squashfs is installed on the host system.
Otherwise errors like the following are to be expected:
FATAL ERROR aborting: uncompress_inode_table: failed to read block .

The root image can be found on one of the mirrors under either arch/x86_64/ or arch/i686/ depending
on the desired architecture. The squashfs format is not editable so we unsquash the root image and then
mount it.
To unsquash the root image, run

# unsquashfs -d /squashfs-root root-image.fs.sfs

Now loop mount the root image

# mkdir /arch
# mount -o loop /squashfs-root/root-image.fs /arch

Before chrooting to it, we need to set up some mount points and copy the resolv.conf for networking.

# mount -t proc none /arch/proc

# mount -t sysfs none /arch/sys
# mount -o bind /dev /arch/dev
# mount -o bind /dev/pts /arch/dev/pts # important for pacman (for signature check)
# cp -L /etc/resolv.conf /arch/etc #this is needed to use networking within the chroot

Now everything is prepared to chroot into the newly installed Arch environment

# chroot /arch bash

Using the chroot Environment

Initializing pacman keyring
Before starting the installation, pacman keys need to be setup. Before running the following two commands
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 read pacman-key#Initializing the keyring to understand the entropy requirements:

# pacman-key --init
# pacman-key --populate archlinux

Installation
Follow Installation guide#Mount the partitions and Installation guide#Install the base packages.

Debian-based host
On Debian-based host systems, pacstrap produces the following error:

# pacstrap /mnt base

# ==> Creating install root at /mnt
# mount: mount point /mnt/dev/shm is a symbolic link to nowhere
# ==> ERROR: failed to setup API filesystems in new root

In Debian, /dev/shm points to /run/shm. However, in the Arch-based chroot, /run/shm does not exist and the
link is broken. To correct this error, create a directory /run/shm:

# mkdir /run/shm

Fedora-based host
On Fedora based hosts and live USBs you may encounter problems when using genfstab to generate your
fstab. Remove duplicate entries and the "seclabel" option where it appears, as this is Fedora-specific and
will keep your system from booting normally.

Configure the system

From that point, simply follow the Mount the partitions section of the Installation guide and following
sections.

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 Replacing the Existing System without a LiveCD
Find ~650MB of free space somewhere on the disk, e.g. by partitioning a swap partition. If less than 600mb
are available, examine the packages in the group base, and select only those required to get a system with
internet connection up and running in the temporary partition. This will mean explicitly specifying individual
packages to pacstrap, as well as passing it the -c option, to get packages downloaded to the host system
to avoid filling up valuable space.
Once the new Arch Linux system is installed, reboot into the newly created system, and rsync the entire
system to the primary partition. Fix the bootloader configuration before rebooting.

Category: Getting and installing Arch

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